Here’s where more than 1,400 Rockview inmates ended up ahead of closure
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- DOC moved over 1,500 inmates from Rockview to 20 state prisons since September.
- Reopened housing units absorbed most inmates; about 78 paroled and 28 completed sentences.
- DOC shifted staff locally; 99% got offers at their first or second choice.
Pennsylvania’s prison agency outlined where most men incarcerated at Rockview state prison were sent as the facility shut down, offering the first broad look at how the closure reshaped the state’s prison population.
More than 1,500 men were transferred out or released from Rockview since September, when the state Department of Corrections finalized its decision to close the prison. They were dispersed to 20 state prisons throughout Pennsylvania.
The bulk were absorbed by prisons that reopened previously closed housing units, while others were released to parole or completed their sentences.
The statistics provide the clearest accounting to date of where Rockview’s population headed, though a DOC spokesperson acknowledged some discrepancies that could take more than a month to reconcile.
Smithfield state prison in neighboring Huntingdon County received the most inmates with 188. It was followed by Coal Township state prison (146), Mahanoy state prison (133), Laurel Highlands state prison (131) and Phoenix state prison (130).
Next-door Benner Township state prison took in 102 inmates. The remaining 14 prisons received an average of 41 former Rockview inmates.
The DOC said about 78 men were released to parole and 28 completed their maximum sentence, leaving about 103 inmates not captured in the data the agency was able to immediately share.
What about Rockview’s staff?
About 86% of union-represented staff remained in Centre County or neighboring Clearfield and Huntingdon counties, according to data shared by the DOC.
The largest concentrations transferred to Benner Township state prison (263) or Houtzdale state prison (161) in Clearfield County, which together accounted for two-thirds of the transfers. The DOC also said 99% of staff received an offer at their first or second choice.
Benner Township and Houtzdale are among the prisons that have historically faced high corrections officer vacancy rates, which the DOC said may be partly because nearby facilities compete for the same candidates.
Altogether, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said reallocating staff could help fill anticipated vacancies and provide “much-needed relief.”